NFL.com mock draft has Bears making a surprising decision at No. 1 overall

Ask any Chicago Bears fan what they think GM Ryan Poles will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the response is almost unanimous. They expect a trade — and a big one — to happen very soon.

It doesn’t matter how far back Poles decides to trade, either. Bears fans want just one thing: a bounty of future picks that includes multiple first-rounders. Anything less than that would feel like a disappointment.

And that’s why NFL.com’s latest mock draft from Lance Zierlein is, in a word, disappointing. Zierlein has the Chicago Bears staying put at No. 1 and drafting Alabama edge rusher, Will Anderson Jr.

“The quarterbacks put on a show at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, thus increasing the critical position’s supply and inherently lowering the demand for the No. 1 pick,” Zierlein wrote. “Add in the current uncertainty surrounding Jalen Carter, and Chicago ultimately stays put and grabs this draft’s top edge rusher.”

Teams can’t wait for one of the top QBs to fall to them

It’s an interesting point that Zierlein makes. The quarterback market in the 2023 NFL draft is strong, and with how well the top four passers performed at the NFL Combine, it’s reasonable to believe that the quarterback-needy teams in Round 1 will wait for, and be happy with, whoever falls to them.

But that theory relies on a significant assumption: that one of the four quarterbacks will be on the board for teams like the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7), Carolina Panthers (No. 9), or Tennessee Titans (No. 11). The panic and anxiety inside those teams’ war rooms will be very real, and even though there are four first-round quarterbacks in this year’s draft, teams will want to control their destiny and move up to No. 1 to pick their guy.

This year’s quarterback class is unique. There are stark differences between Bryce Young, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, and CJ Stroud. A team with Young as their QB1 probably won’t be high on Richardson. And a club that prefers Levis may not be as thrilled with Stroud. General managers won’t “settle” for a quarterback, they want to pick their quarterback.

Hence, a trade-up to No. 1.

As for who Zierlein sends the Chicago Bears in this mock draft? No one would complain if Will Anderson Jr. became a Bear. The only issue will be if he comes to Chicago by way of the No. 1 pick. Anderson is the best pass rusher in the 2023 NFL draft and a defensive culture-changer. Every team needs a guy like that.

But the Bears should — and likely will — trade down. And they can still land Anderson if they slide to No. 2 (Texans) or No. 4 (Colts).

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